There is a lament welling up even among the supporters of the Iraq War that things are now so bad in Iraq that getting out now, while certainly a disastrous choice, is better than sticking around and feeding the terror forces. The LA Times has reported that the generals running the war have suddenly decided that a gradual withdrawal is "now" a virtue:
During his congressional testimony, Army Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said that troop reductions were necessary to "take away one of the elements that fuels the insurgency, that of the coalition forces as an occupying force."
A smaller U.S. presence could alleviate some of the anger feeding the insurgency, Casey suggested.
This is seen as an about-face from the brass, although I don't remember any general or official stating that Iraq was going to be turned into the 51st state. That was an argument by the anti-war crowd, and not one ever taken seriously except by those who insist that this war has been fought for the sole benefit of Hallibuton.
The same approach may prove helpful across the Middle East, commanders said. The Central Command's Gen. John P. Abizaid, who supervises all U.S. troops in the region, said the broader fight against Islamic extremism required the United States to "reduce our military footprint" across the region and push governments in the Middle East to fight the extremists themselves.
Because that worked so well in the past.
So now, as US officials begin openly talking about troop reduction, what will the anti-war people say? And wasn't there criticism that there weren't enough troops in Iraq?
Yes, the Defense Department is confusing just about everybody lately and making it very difficult to be optimistic about prospects in Iraq. Still, as Richard Chesnoff points out, there is progress:
Take, for example, the way brave Iraqis continue to defy bloody attempts by pro-Saddam terrorists to sabotage the upcoming Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and deny Iraq democracy. Like the January presidential vote, registration has been exhilaratingly high across the country - even in provinces with heavy "insurgent" presence.
In Anbar and Salahuddin, approximately 75% of eligible voters recently signed up to vote. Iraqis are also beginning to take over the heavy burden of their own defense. Our 149,000 troops clearly remain vital to any semblance of order, but the Iraqi army is making strides: It already boasts a counterterrorist unit and a commando battalion.
Iraq's once-powerful Air Force is back in the skies with three operational squadrons that already include nine reconnaissance and three U.S. C-130 transport aircraft that operate around the clock under Iraqi control. Even the Iraqi Navy is afloat again, with 39 patrol craft and a full navy infantry regiment.
Some members of Congress loudly disagree, but top Iraqi officials and several senior U.S. military chiefs believe that we may be able to safely withdraw substantial numbers of our troops by year's end. The Iraqi police force already has more than 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers.
I hope that Richard is right.
The next scant two weeks leading up to the referendum will be filled with stories of attacks and malaise, yet I am willing to bet that the accounts of this poll will be similar to that of the first election. At that time I was writing for the Iraq Elections Blog and fending off arguments from those who saw nothing but a sham election. The day of the election, I was up early and stayed up late to follow and write about what was happening. The overriding sentiment was wonder that the whole place hadn't been incinerated.
It is interesting that those who favored the war have greater faith in the Iraqi people than those who were railed against it. Note: I am NOT lumping into that camp all those (some friends of mine and some fellow, well-respected bloggers) who had principled, logistical arguments for "doing" Iraq. Saying Iraq wasn't the right place, right time, etc. isn't the same as Iraq was a paradise and Saddam wasn't any of our business, etc.
So we are met with the prospect of more dark days and more death in the face of a march to a democratic Iraq. Whatever side you are on, for or against, stay or withdraw, by now the only moral argument is to do the job and get out and let Iraq be Iraq.
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